may be compared the Spanish adage, "He
who rides behind does not saddle when he will."

[896] See Kelly's "Proverbs of All Nations," p. 49.

"While the grass grows, the steed starves." This is alluded to by Hamlet
(iii. 2): "Ay, sir, but 'while the grass grows,' the proverb is
something musty." See Dyce's "Glossary," p. 499.

"Who dares not stir by day must walk by night" ("King John," i. 1).

"Who goes to Westminster for a wife, to St. Paul's for a man, and to
Smithfield for a horse, may meet with a queane, a knave, and a jade."
This proverb, often quoted by old writers, is alluded to in "2 Henry
IV." (i. 2):

"_Falstaff._ Where's Bardolph?

_Page._ He's gone into Smithfield to buy your worship a horse.

_Falstaff._ I bought him in Paul's, and he'll buy me a horse
in Smithfield: an I could get me but a wife in the stews, I
were manned, horsed, and wived."

"Wit, whither wilt?" This was a proverbial expression not unfrequent in
Shakespeare's day. It is used by Orlando in "As You Like It" (iv. 1): "A
man that had a wife with such a wit, he might say--'Wit, whither wilt?'"

"Will you take eggs for money?" This was a proverbial phrase, quoted by
Leontes in the "Winter's Tale" (i. 2), for putting up with an affront,
or being cajoled or imposed upon.

"Words are but wind, but blows unkind." In "Comedy of Errors" (iii. 1),
Dromio of Ephesus uses the first part of this popular adage.

"Worth a Jew's eye." Launcelot, in the "Merchant of Venice" (ii. 5),
says:

"There will come a Christian by,
Will be worth a Jewess' eye."

According to tradition, the proverb arose from the custom of torturing
Jews to extort money from them. It is simply, however, a corruption of
the Italian _gioia_ (a jewel).

"You'll never be burned for a witch." This proverb, which was applied to
a silly person, is probably referred to in "Antony and Cleopatra" (i. 2)
by Charmian, when he says to the soothsayer:

"Out, fool; I forgive thee for a witch."

"Young ravens must have food" ("Merry Wives of Windsor," i. 3).[897] Ray
has "Small birds must have meat."

[897] "Handbook Index to Shakespeare," p. 395.

CHAPTER XX.

THE HUMAN BODY.

It would be difficult to enumerate the manifold forms of superstition
which have, in most countries, in the course of past centuries,
clustered round the human body. Many of these, too, may still be found
scattered, here and there, throughout our own cou